eBay, can we talk a minute?
You know how I feel about money orders and checks. I hate them. They are slow, easy to fake and a general pain in the neck. I have been eagerly waiting for you to ban them for years because as long as they are an option, at sort of have to offer them.
So you banned all paper payment methods. In fact, the deadline for sellers to remove all mention of checks and money orders is today, January 15th. Don’t think I don’t appreciate that you got rid of them, dude, because I do.
But my issue this, well partial rumped way you did it. Oh, heck, let’s just spell it out. This policy was half assed. I mean, man, if you are going to ban something, BAN it.
Instead money orders and checks are on double super secret probation: they are banned, but you are still allowed to offer them. Sellers are allowed to accept money orders and checks, they just aren’t allowed to tell anyone that they do.
I don’t understand this logic. This loophole makes three things:
- more confusion (Your listing says nothing about taking paper payments, do you accept them or not?)
- more email back and forth (Isn’t the whole point of having all that text in your listings to head off email questions before they arrive? This policy just makes more email and makes communication less efficient because now they have to email and ask since we can’t say it in the listings.)
- more fuel for the foil hatters who claim its all a conspiracy to force everyone to use PayPal
Also, if I may be completely petty, it makes me get emails like this:
Do you except money orders? Alot of sellers still do but you need to ask.:)
This is an actual email we got from a buyer. My issues with this are as follows:
- Not to get all, do-you-know-who-I-am but yes, thank you, I am aware of how this policy works. You don’t need to educate me on the latest eBay policies. I hate when buyers with 5 feedbacks feel obligated to tell me how eBay works.
- I may be reading way too much into this but her tone makes it seem like, well, a lot of other sellers take money orders so you should be taking them as well. Don’t tell me what to do, missy!
- Except? Alot? Don’t make me [sic] my high school English teacher on you! (You like what I did there?)
Of course, what we answered was something along the lines of, “Sure, we take money orders no problem! :-)” (Our business is run with a liberal use of the smiley face.)
Sorry, eBay, I got a little off topic there. But you see what I am saying, right man? You’ve left me in the weird limbo where I can only accept money orders if someone comes to the back door and asks for Charlie. You are making me run my business like a speakeasy, dude, and that makes me feel unclean!
OK, I’m done. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. You’ve been doing a great job overall, there so you’ll have to excuse this little freak out. But I don’t know whether to be mad about this or just confused.
But if you are going to make a policy change like this in the future, man, grab it by the balls and MAKE IT. Don’t be all, this is our policy. Or not. Whatever.
When it comes to policy making, use your whole ass!
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Damn, Hillary, you’re feisty today!
The funny thing about it as I see it the same way as you, an overall blessing — I mean I don’t take them on Bonanzle, I didn’t take them on my own site, and I only took them on eBay because that’s how a lot of people paid back in 2000 and they just got used to it! So, I too am glad to see them go.
That said, as a fellow vintage collectibles dealer, we are probably one of the categories where the request is made most. We deal with a lot of people used to exchanging actual cash (and I’ll still get a surprise envelope with the green stuff every so often) and are often older customers who seem overall less trusting of putting their banking info anywhere on the net.
So while I don’t really want them either, I’m fine with people asking … just it would be nice to know if I’m following proper protocol. Maybe RBH can help us all out.
Thanks, Cliff
Damn, Hillary, you’re feisty today!
The funny thing about it as I see it the same way as you, an overall blessing — I mean I don’t take them on Bonanzle, I didn’t take them on my own site, and I only took them on eBay because that’s how a lot of people paid back in 2000 and they just got used to it! So, I too am glad to see them go.
That said, as a fellow vintage collectibles dealer, we are probably one of the categories where the request is made most. We deal with a lot of people used to exchanging actual cash (and I’ll still get a surprise envelope with the green stuff every so often) and are often older customers who seem overall less trusting of putting their banking info anywhere on the net.
So while I don’t really want them either, I’m fine with people asking … just it would be nice to know if I’m following proper protocol. Maybe RBH can help us all out.
Thanks, Cliff
I still get cash and coins taped to a piece of paper. I mean, it would never occur to me to send cash in the mail, what is with some people?
Thanks for the comment, Cliff!
I still get cash and coins taped to a piece of paper. I mean, it would never occur to me to send cash in the mail, what is with some people?
Thanks for the comment, Cliff!
Gee Hillary, don’t be encouraging them to use their whole ass, judging by the way they shit on us last year they need a cork not more catharsis.
Why do people still send cash? Probably because the cost of a money order in addition to the stamp hits them the wrong way. On one of my $3 greeting cards it is a sizeable percentage extra.
You should be flattered, it is an expression of trust in your honesty. A real compliment in fact.
Henrietta’s last blog post..Sometimes Less is More
Gee Hillary, don’t be encouraging them to use their whole ass, judging by the way they shit on us last year they need a cork not more catharsis.
Why do people still send cash? Probably because the cost of a money order in addition to the stamp hits them the wrong way. On one of my $3 greeting cards it is a sizeable percentage extra.
You should be flattered, it is an expression of trust in your honesty. A real compliment in fact.
Henrietta’s last blog post..Sometimes Less is More
I understand sending $5 cash or something, it’s when they send like $50 cash that I take pause. That is why, to me, from a buyer’s standpoint, PayPal is awesome. It’s free for the buyer, instant and they don’t have to buy a stamp or pay a money order fee.
Every now and then I buy something and then discover they don’t take paypal and I have to go find and dust off my checkbook!
I understand sending $5 cash or something, it’s when they send like $50 cash that I take pause. That is why, to me, from a buyer’s standpoint, PayPal is awesome. It’s free for the buyer, instant and they don’t have to buy a stamp or pay a money order fee.
Every now and then I buy something and then discover they don’t take paypal and I have to go find and dust off my checkbook!